News

Although Shepway Council are claiming that the brown garden waste bins are popular with ratepayers despite them having to fork out an extra £35 a year for the 26 fortnightly collections, a Gazette online  poll tells a different story.

The Gazette 'fun' poll asked readers if the price charged by Shepway was good value.

Of the 651 votes cast to 17 March, 66 votes supported the council saying it was good value, but the rest totalling an overwhelming 585 disagreed.

If the £35 had been included in this year's rates, the increase over last year would have been more than 5% and the council could have found itself rate capped by the Government.  To keep the environmentally friendly service going, the cash strapped local authority were forced to charge ratepayers directly without  increasing the rates.

It is less than two weeks before the new charge comes in force.